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Starlink and Skylo Technologies named Leaders in ABI Research's D2C Satellite Service Providers Competitive Ranking, with Elveo Mobile claiming the innovation crown. October 08, 2026 09:00 ET | Source: ABI Research NEW YORK, Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Global technology intelligence firm ABI Research has named Starlink and Skylo Technologies the Leaders in its D2C Satellite Service Providers competitive ranking. Starlink led the field among seven competitors, while Skylo Technologies ranked second. Both Starlink and Skylo Technologies were also recognized as Top Implementers, while Elveo Mobile claimed the top spot for innovation. * Starlink's market dominance is underpinned by its robust infrastructure - featuring hundreds of direct-to-cell satellites and over 150 ground stations - alongside valuable spectrum assets and an expanding portfolio of live commercial MNO partnerships. ABI Research estimates that SpaceX's Starlink Mobile generated US$ 276 million in end-user connection service revenue in 2025. * Skylo stood out for its robust commercial footprint, live services across numerous countries, and a solid base of D2C subscriptions. * Elveo Mobile led the innovation category, reflecting its 50-plus MNO partners, 60 Megahertz of priority MSS spectrum, and multi-waveform reconfigurable architecture. While established players like Starlink and Skylo dominate market execution and scale today, the innovation landscape is being increasingly shaped by disruptive challengers like Elveo Mobile, according to Rachel Kong, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. "Elveo is emerging as the dark horse in the D2C satellite service provider ecosystem," said Kong. "Following the merger of Lynk and Omnispace with major backing from SES, they command a strong network of MNO partnerships and 60 MHz of valuable MSS spectrum, complemented by a multi-orbit, multi-spectrum, and multi-waveform configurable architecture. To top it off, they've just announced a new manufacturing partnership with Apex Space to aggressively scale satellite production." Other key players shaping the ecosystem with emerging, robust D2C capabilities include Globalstar, Iridium, and AST SpaceMobile. While Globalstar already powers Apple's ecosystem, and both Iridium and AST SpaceMobile advance toward their upcoming D2C rollouts, recent high-profile M&A activity - notably Amazon's acquisition of Globalstar and Rocket Lab's acquisition of Iridium - is set to fundamentally reshape the competitive landscape heading into 2027. "The D2C ecosystem is a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment," concluded Kong. "Over the past few months alone, we have witnessed a wave of mergers, acquisitions, and spectrum transactions. This trend will continue to persist as market landscapes and connectivity demands mature. In addition, with the market moving this fast, the next few years will separate the ambitious players from the actual proven networks we rely on." These findings are from ABI Research's D2C Satellite Service Providers Competitive Ranking report, part of the company's Space Technologies and Innovation research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. About ABI Research ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers. ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司,拥有得天独厚的优势,充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁,通过提供独家研究和专业性指导,推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略,无缝连接这两大主体. Contact Info:

Forecast: Global satellite IoT subs at 42m by 2030. October 5, 2026 The global satellite IoT communications market is growing at a good steady pace according to research from specialist IoT analyst firm Berg Insight. The global satellite IoT subscriber base grew to surpass 7 million in 2025. The number of satellite IoT subscribers will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.1 per cent to reach 42 million units in 2030. Only about 10 per cent of the Earth's surface has access to terrestrial connectivity services which leaves a massive opportunity for satellite IoT communications. Satellite connectivity provides a complement to terrestrial cellular and non-cellular networks in remote locations, especially useful for applications in agriculture, asset tracking, maritime and intermodal transportation, oil and gas industry exploration, utilities, construction and governments. Both incumbent satellite operators and more than two dozen new initiatives are now betting on the IoT connectivity market. This new study covers a total of 44 satellite IoT operators. "Iridium, Orbcomm, Viasat (Inmarsat) and Globalstar are the largest satellite IoT network operators today," said Johan Fagerberg, Principal Analyst at Berg Insight. Iridium grew its subscriber base by 6 per cent in the last year and reached the number one spot serving 2.1 million subscribers. Originally a dedicated satellite operator, ORBCOMM has transitioned into an end-to-end solution provider, delivering services on its own satellite network as well as being a reseller partner of Viasat and others. At the end of Q4-2025, the company had 950,000 million satellite IoT subscribers on its own and Viasat's networks. Globalstar reached 0.54 million subscribers. Other players with connections in the tens of thousands include for instance Myriota in Australia, Kineis in France and Thuraya in the UAE. In addition to the incumbent satellite operators a number of new initiatives have appeared on the market recently. Examples of some high-profile projects are AST SpaceMobile, Geespace, Hubble Network, Kineis, Ligado Networks, Lynk, Myriota, Elveo Mobile, OQ Technology, Plan-S, Sateliot, Skylo and Starlink. Many of these are based on low-earth orbit smallsat concepts. While some rely on proprietary satellite connectivity technologies to support IoT devices, several are starting to leverage terrestrial wireless IoT connectivity technologies. Examples include OQ Technology, AST SpaceMobile, Elveo Mobile, Sateliot, Ligado Networks, Skylo, Open Cosmos, Iridium, Terrestar Solutions, Geespace and Starlink (3GPP 4G/5G); EchoStar Mobile, Fossa Systems, Lacuna Space, Innova Space and Plan-S (LoRa); and Hubble Network (Bluetooth). A trend in the past two years has been collaborations between satellite operators and mobile operators & MVNOs that explore new hybrid satellite-terrestrial connectivity opportunities. "Skylo has been the most active NTN provider lately for hybrid cellular/satellite offerings working with Deutsche Telekom, Soracom, Monogoto, floLIVE, emnify, Blues Wireless, BICS, Verizon, Telefónica, Orange, Semtech, Cubic, KPN, Multibyte Info, Tele2, Spectrum Mobile, Vodafone and Xfinity Mobile. Additional satellite IoT operators partnering with mobile operators and MVNOs include AST SpaceMobile, Iridium, Elveo Mobile, OQ Technology, Sateliot, SES, Starlink, Terrestar and Viasat", concluded Fagerberg.

Skylo has closed an oversubscribed $30 million funding round led by NGP Capital, with participation from Westly Group and existing investors including Intel Capital, BMW i Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, and Next47. The company provides direct-to-device satellite connectivity, operating the largest standards-based network that enables smartphones, vehicles, and IoT devices to connect in areas without cellular coverage. Skylo integrates with existing chipsets and works with mobile network operators to offer satellite coverage as an extension of terrestrial networks. The funding will support expansion into new markets. Skylo now offers commercial coverage in Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to the entire United States, through a partnership with Viasat. Skylo's network has facilitated millions of messages globally across five continents and recently supported emergency communications during US hurricanes and wildfires.